Ventilator attachment for toilet seats



May 14, 1935. M. o. TEETOR VENTILATOR ATTACHMENT FOR TOILET SEATS Filed July 27, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l I QN May 14, 1935. M. o. TEETOR VENTILATOR ATTACHMENT FOR TOILET SEATS Filed July 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 14, 1935. M. o. TEETOR I VENTILATOR ATTACHMENT FOR- TOILET SEATS Filed July 2'7, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PM May 14,1935 i 2,001,592

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE: 2,001,592 a I Macy 0. Teeter, Newcastle, Ind.

Application July 27, 1933, Serial No. 682,362

9 Claims. (01. 4-213) This invention relates generally to a ventilator impractical, because, among other reasons, they for attachment to a water closet or the like and are difficult and costly to install. Particularly in has for its object to provide for the deodorization completed toilet structures, in that th y r q ir and purification of t mm air or gases, serious modification of the existing structure.

One of the objects of this invention is to pro- This particular objection to prior proposed struc 5 vide a ventilator unit attachable to the bowl of tures has been obviated by the structure cmthe toilet and operated by the seat thereof for bodying the present invention, in that the vendeodorizing the gases prior to their introduction tilating u can be r i y attached to the Standto the outside atmosphere. ard bowl without a modification of the existing Another object is to provide a ventilator atstructure. The instant structure lends itself to 10 tachment which can be readily fixed for permaready attachabiilty to any standard bow b y nent securement to standard toilet bowls withunskilled Person while at the same time the strucout the necessity of providing additional attachture is very durable and efiicient in operation. ments or requiring the modification or alteration n e drawings; of any of the toilet structure. 1 Fig. l is a plan view partially in section show- 5 Another object is to provide an ozone ventilator ing the ventilator unit mounted on the bowl; for attachment to a toilet bowl whereby the foul Fi 2 is a fr nt l v tion 1' the V n air is withdrawn therefrom and deodorized by ni show in-F the ozonizer prior to its introduction to the pure Fi 3 15 a nal View of the ventilator device taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Another object'is to provide a ventilator at- 4 is fragmentary Section taken on line tachment for toilet bowls which is normally in- 1 w g the attaching the unit operative and which is placed and continued in to a toilet; operation only during the time the seat is occu- 5 is a P p c v View 01 the toilet Shelving pied. the ventilating device attached thereto; 2

Another object of the invention is to provide a F g. 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of Fig- 2 ventilator unit for attachment to a water closet Showing the jou al and Slee eenheetien; whereby the depression of the seat rocks said 7 S a c oss section on the line 1-1 of unit bodily with respect to'the bowl to thereby actuate the ventilating unit into operation and 3 is a Perspective 0! t spider 10 the 30 continue it in operation until the seat is again mounting of the ozonizer; raised. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view or the electrical A further object of this invention is to provide circuit; and a ventilator unit for attachment to water closets Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line which will be positive and eflicient in its opera- Ill-ill of Fig. l. 5 tion; neat and compact in design; inexpensive in Referring to Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, it its manufacture; readily adaptable to any standwill be seen that the ventilating unit, generally ard water closet; and which may be easily inindicated by the numeral I, is attached to a stalled without requiring the services of a plumber standard toilet bowl 2 by means to be described or experienced workman. presently. The ventiating unit has a suction 40 More specifically, this invention relates to a nozzle 3 seated on top of the rear portion of the ventilating unit for securement to a toilet bowl, toilet bowl, the forward edge of the nozzle 101- which unit is provided with a nozzle attached to lowing generally but rearwardly outset with rethe rear of the bowl and which is in communicaspect to the contour of the rear top edge portion tion with an ozonizer and a suction device, both of the bowl. The nozzle for the most part is 45 of which are operated by the depression of the hollow and has two enlarged openings 5 and 6 and seat and in turn draw the foul air and gases aconecting chamber I. The solid portions of the through the nozzle and ozonizer and expel it into nozzle are provided with depressions 8 having the room in a deodorized state. openings 9 through which are passed usual bolts Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide l0 carrying the pintles to which the rear ends 5 ventilators for attachment to toilets or the like of the seat II and cover I! are swingingly mounted wherein the foul air is withdrawn from the toilet in the customary or standard way. The bolts are bowl and delivered to a stack, pipe or other passed through the openings of the nozzle and medium which carries the gases exteriorly of the are secured to the top edge of the bowl by nuts room. Devices of this character are decidedly I Inthis manner the en ventilating a ach- 55 ment is securely fastened and retained in its position by the standard means with which the toilet is initially equipped, additional or special fastening means being unnecessary.

Formed integrally with the suction nozzle 3 andcommunicating at its bottom with the air passage chamber 1 is an upstanding hollow arm I4 having a projecting tube I5 which serves as a fixed journal. Surrounding this journal I5 and bearing against a shoulder I6 is a sleeve portion I1 formed as an integral part of a housing I8 in which is mounted the ozonizer and suction means presently to be described. The sleeve and housing are adapted to rock axially on said journal and are prevented from endwise movement by a bolt I9 (Fig. 6) which is screw threaded into an opening in the sleeve I1 and which has a reduced stem 2I fitting within an enlarged opening 22 in the journal I5. The opening is enlarged sufficiently to permit the housing I8 to rock to efiect the desired closing of a circuit as will presently be described.

The rear end of the sleeve is slightly enlarged as at 23 and is adapted to support therein the ozonizer structure 29 which will now be described. The enlarged sleeve is provided with a shoulder 24 and a boss 25 which serve to position spiders 28 (Figs. 1, 2, and 8). The spiders are cross shaped and are provided with notches 21 which receive therein the ends of the tubular glass or celluloid member 28 of the ozonizer.

The ozonizer illustrated in the drawing is one well known on the market but it is not desired that my invention be limited to the Specific details thereof as any suitable form of ozonizer may be employed.

The specific ozonizer shown comprises the usual glass or insulating tube 28 (Figs. 1 and 9), about the outer'face of the tube is an outer tubular electrode 29 which is grounded as at 30, and on the inner face of the tube is an inner tubular electrode 3|, which is connected to one of the secondary terminals 32 of a transformer 33, while the other secondary terminal 32 of the transformer is grounded at 34.

The casing I8 is provided with an outer end cover 35, secured to the casing by screws 36.

The transformer 33, motor 38 and fan 4| are mounted as a unit and are supported upon the cover 35 by bolts 31. The fan 4| is secured to the armature shaft of the motor. The right hand end of the housing has formed integrally therewith a disk 49 having enlarged exhaust openings 50. A screen 43 is placed inwardly of said disk and is secured in the housing by a groove 44.

Mounted above the motor in the casing I8 is a mercury switch 42 (best shown in Fig. '7) which is mounted on one end of a leaf spring 45 that is fastened at its opposite end to the housing by screws 46. An adjusting screw 41 may be employed to adjust the switch. The primary 62 (Fig. 9) of the transformer is connected in circuit with the mercury switch and motor.

To rock the unit bodily about the journal I5, I provide a lever 52 (Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 10) which has a split collar 53 securely embracing the sleeve I1 and held in fastened relation thereto by a bolt 54. The forward end of the lever 52 is provided with a lug 56 which contacts with the underside of the seat and which causes the lever to move through its orbit of travel when the seat is depressed. The lever is normally held in a slightly elevated position by means of a spring derside of said lever. The plunger 51 with its spring 6| are mounted within a cylinder 58 depending from the suction nozzle 3. The spring 5| may be adjusted by the nut 50. The seat, when not occupied, may be held slightly elevated by the usual means or by the plunger 51 and lever 52 if desired.

Referring particularly to the circuit diagram of Fig. 9, it will be seen that the glass or insulating tube 28 of the ozonizer has an outer electrode 29' which is grounded as at 30, and that the inner electrode 3| is connected to one of the secondary terminals 32 of the transformer, and

that the other secondary terminal 32 is ground-' .ed as at 34, while the primary 62 of the transformer is connected in circuit'from a source of current supply 63 with one of the terminals 38' of the motor 38. The mercury switch 42 and the other terminal 38' of the motor are connected to the returning wire 64 of the circuit.

It will thus be seen that upon depression of the seat I I, lever 52 is moved downwardly against the tension of the spring BI to thereby rock the housing I8 about its journal I5. The slight tilting of the housing closes the mercury switch 42 which in turn closes the circuit to operate the ozonizer 29 and the fan 4 I The foul gases which are sucked from the toilet bowl into the openings 5 and 6 and chamber 1 of the suction nozzle 3 by means of the fan pass through the arm I2 and journal I5, around and through the ozonizer 29, which deodorizes the foul gases, through the housing and finally are expelled to the room atmosphere through the openings 50. In this manner obnoxious odors accumulated in the bowl are withdrawn therefrom and admitted to the room in a deodorized state.

It will be noted, from an inspection of the plan view in Figure 1 and the perspective view in Figure 5, that the housing I8 and its ozonizer 29, transformer 33, electric motor 38, and fan 4| constitute a deodorizing unit which is rockably supported upon the journal I5 in an unbalanced or off-center condition whereby it will constantly tend to rock or move in one direction. The lever 52, contacting the seat II, will effect movement of this deodorizing unit in a different or opposite direction when the seat is occupied. The deodorizing unit is controlled by a mercury switch 42 which is actuated to render the unit operative and inoperative by movements of the deodorizing unit in view of the fact that the mercury switch is suitably mounted within the housing I8. This unbalanced or oil-center supporting of the deodorizing unit guarantees the opening of the circuits to the ozonizer and its transformer and to the electric motor when the seat I I is not occupied. A spring-pressed plunger 51 is provided to cause the. seat It to be slightly elevated when it is not occupied, but this unbalanced or off-center condition of the deodorizing unit will effect opening of the circuits for the elements of the unit even should the spring 6| for the plunger 51 be broken or weakened so that the seat would not be elevated by the spring and plunger when it is unoccupied.

It will be noted that the journal I5 for the nozzle 3 and the mounting sleeve I1 for the tion that my invention is admirably adapted to perform the objects first stated. .It will be clear that changes may be made without departing from the'spirit of ,my invention. For example, it is not intended to limit the invention in its broader aspects to a separate unit adapted to be attached to the toilet bowl, as the device may be incorporated in or formed as an integral part of the bowl by the toilet manufacturer.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a nozzle secured to said bowl, said nozzle having a journal extending therefrom, a housing having a sleeve formed therewith by which said housing is rockably supported on said journal, a chamber formed as a continuation of said sleeve and adapted to support an ozonizer therein, a suction device mount- I ed within the housing and in communication with said nozzle and ozonizer, and means secured to said sleeve and operated by said seat for rocking said housing about said journal for operating said suction device and ozonizer for withdrawing the foul air through said nozzle and ozonizer and passing it to the atmosphere in an ozonized condition.

2. Ina structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a nozzle secured to said bowl, said nozzle having a journal formed integrally therewith and extending laterally therefrom, a housing having a sleeve-formed integrally therewith to rockably support said housing on said journal, an ozonizing chamber formed as a continuation of said sleeve, an ozonizer mounted within said chamber, suction means mounted within said housing, and means connected to said housing for rocking said housing about said joumal' to actuate said suction means and ozonizing means for withdrawing the foul air from said bowl and passing the same through said ozonizer and to the atmosphere in an ozonized condition.

3. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and seat therefor, a nozzle secured to saidbowl, said nozzle having a journal formed integrally therewith and extending laterally therefrom, a housing having a sleeve by which said housing is adapted to be rockably supported on' said journal, an ozonizing chamber directly communicating with said sleeve and said journal, an ozonizer mounted within-said chamber, suction means contained within said housing and mounted on an exteriorly accessible support, and means operated by the depression of said seat foroperating said suction device-and'ozonizer for withdrawing the foul air through said nozzle and ozonizer and passing it to the atmosphere in an ozonized condition.

v4. Ina structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a support connected to said bowl, a deodorizing unit movably mounted on said support in an unbalanced condition whereby it tends to move in one direction, means for connecting said unit to said seat for causin: depression of said seat to efleet movement of the unit in a different direction, and control means actuated by the movement of the unit in said two directions for rendering. said unit operative and inoperative.

5. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a support connected to said bowl, a combined deodorizing and gas circulating unit connecting with the interior of said bowl and movably mounted on said support in an unbalanced condition whereby it tends to move in one direction, means for connecting said unit to 'said seat for causing depression of said seat to effect movement of the unit in a. difierent direction, and control means actuated by the movements of the unit in said two directions for rendering said unit operative and inoperative.

' 6. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a nozzle secured to said bowl ,to communicate with the interior thereof, a combined ozonizer and suction unit movably mounted on said nozzle in an unbalanced condition whereby it tends to move in one direction, means for connecting said unit to said seat for causing depression of said seat to effect movement of the unit in a different direction, and control means actuated by the movements of the unit in said two directions for rendering said unit operative and inoperative.

7. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a support connected to said bowl, a housing rockably mounted on said support in an oil-center position whereby it tends to move in one direction, a. combined ozonizer and suction unit mounted in said housing to rock therewith, means for connecting said housing to said seat for causing depression of the seat to effect movement of the housing in a different direction, and control means actuated by the rocking movements of said housing for rendering said unit operative and inoperative.

8. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a support connected to said bowl, a deodorizing unit rockably mounted on said support in an oiT-center position whereby it tends to move in one direction, said unit comprising an ozonizer, a suction fan and a motor to drive the fan, means for connecting said unit to said seat for causingdepression of said seat to efiect movement of the unit in a different direction, and control means actuated by the movements of the unit in said two directions for renderlng said unit operative and inoperative.

9. In a structure of the class described, a toilet bowl and a seat therefor, a support connected to said bowl, a deodorizing unit movably mounted on said support in an unbalanced condition whereby it tends to move in one direction, means for limiting movement of said unit in said one direction, means for connecting said unit to said seat for causing depression of said seat to efiect movement of the unit in a different direction, and control means actuated by the movements of the unit in said two directions for rendering said unit operative and inoperative.

MACY O. 'I'EE'DOR. 

